Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ is a very easy plant to cultivate and will grow just about anywhere. It can cope with clay, peat or chalk. For the very best results, however, grow it in fertile, loamy soil that stays moist at all times, without ever becoming boggy. It prefers a sunny position. Watering is more important for the first couple of seasons after planting. Mature plants that have become established can usually fend for themselves.
This grass can cope with windy positions quite well, but avoid really exposed sites, where strong winds can leave it looking decidedly battered. It doesn’t mind salty air, so is a good choice for seaside gardens. This is a versatile plant that looks good in all sorts of gardens: it can add structure to herbaceous borders, looks marvellous when planted with other grasses, and is large enough to be planted as a specimen plant in a focal part of the garden.
An annual feed can be given in spring, if desired. Use a light helping of blood, fish and bone sprinkled around its base. There is little other maintenance to worry about, and pests and diseases are not usually a problem.
Propagation is by division, which can be done in spring when the new shoots are just bursting into growth.
Black Crass
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This unusual-coloured grass is small and slow-growing, making it suitable for a pot.
The Latin name of this grass took me years to be able to pronounce fluently – it really makes you wonder who’s responsible sometimes ….
Despite its daft name, this splendid plant would please even the most design-conscious gardener. The leaves really are jet-black. They form tufts of coal-coloured clumps that spread slowly to cover areas of no more than around 90cm (3ft), with a maximum height of only 15cm (6in). Groups of this lovely grass look particularly effective in beds mulched with light-coloured grit or stones, to show off their deep colour fully. They also look best planted in large numbers – just dotting one or two around a garden would make them look a bit lost. In a local municipal planting scheme that I saw recently, a circular bed 2.5m (8ft) in diameter had been dug out of a lawn. In the centre was a small tree, and the rest of the space had been completely filled with nothing but this grass. The effect was wonderful.
Apart from the unusual-coloured foliage, this evergreen has attractive sprigs of lilac flowers in late summer, followed by small, shiny berries that last for months.
These Japanese plants perform best on light, well-drained soil. If the soil tends to be heavy, stir in some extra grit or silver sand to improve drainage. Full sun is preferred, but their colour holds well in light shade. Once established, they are remarkably drought-tolerant. Their size makes them a good choice for growing in a terracotta pot, but they are much slower to spread when grown this way than when they are planted directly into the ground.
This plant is very easy to cultivate and almost maintenance-free. Annual feeding is not really necessary, but a small amount of general fertilizer can be applied in spring, if you wish. Pests and diseases are not usually a problem, although aphids can sometimes be a nuisance in the summer, and regular inspections should be made for them.
Propagation is easy by division but, as these plants are so slow to spread, very little spare material is available for this purpose.
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The berries are jet-black, shiny beads.
Bamboos add a lush, jungly feel to any garden. Their evergreen leaves and beautiful canes combine to create a permanently exotic presence. They are also immensely versatile plants and can be used in a wide number of ways.
Bamboos can be used as single, ornamental specimens to liven up a dull corner of the garden or create interest in boring beds and borders. They are an essential ingredient of Japanese-style gardens, and make excellent screening plants for blotting out unsightly views or nosy neighbours. Planted between garden and roadside, they can help to mask the sound of noisy traffic.
They can be grown as informal hedges, coping well with light clipping. They are also a good choice for play areas in the garden because they can take a fair amount of rough treatment from rampaging children. Since they harmonize well with water, they look especially effective planted near streams or ponds. If you’re lucky enough to own a lake, large sweeps of bamboo planted along the edge make a fine sight. And, although bamboos are not good at coping with very windy, exposed positions, if they’re planted where light breezes can swish through them, the rustling sound is very soothing.
The idea of introducing bamboos to gardening schemes fills some people with horror, as they imagine wild, invasive plants taking over every corner, ripping up ponds and patios in their wake. Although some of the fast-growing tropical species have the potential for doing this, most bamboos behave in a much more restrained and dignified manner. In fact, many of the bamboos in this chapter stay in a nice tight clump even after a couple of decades.
Most bamboos are not invasive plants, but well behaved and dignified.
All of the bamboos featured here are fully hardy down to -20°C (-4°F), so there is a good choice of bamboo for even the coldest garden, ranging from the lofty heights of Semiarundinariafastuosa to the delicate form of Pleioblastus variegata. These plants have been chosen for their suitability for average temperate gardens, their ornamental qualities and ease of cultivation. There is also a good chance that specialist nurseries will stock them.
Choose a decent-sized plant for transplanting into the garden. Seedlings are slow to get started, and it can take around five years for a clump to become noticeable. Bamboos prefer a sunny spot, although most will tolerate some shade. For really shady spots, choose Pseudosasa japonica or Sasa palmata nebulosa, which are the least fussy to cultivate.
All bamboos look much better planted away from strong winds. Permanently breezy conditions won’t kill them, but the wind can scorch the leaf edges, leaving them brown and crispy. Plants look much greener and healthier in a sheltered spot. An exception to this is the robust Pseudosasa japonica, which can take an astonishing amount of battering from seasonal storms.
Bamboos are very thirsty plants and need permanent access to irrigation. However, they will not stand very waterlogged conditions, so good drainage is important. Pools of water stagnating around the roots will lead to rotting. The best examples of green and healthy bamboos with enormous canes are always to be found in gardens that have a high water table or alongside rivers or streams. In these positions, water is constantly available for them to help themselves whenever it’s required.
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Sasa palmata ‘Nebulosa’ has the largest leaves of any hardy bamboo.
With this in mind, growing bamboos in pots is a very bad idea. If they dry out, they die – it’s as simple as that. Once they reach that brown, parched look, you’ve had it. Just think how a lawn looks after a hot dry summer. Bamboo reacts in the same way. Recovery from a brown, crisp specimen takes such a long time that the best thing to do is dispose of it and start again, as any new growth that might occur will have to regenerate from the old root system. If growing in a container is unavoidable,